Nancy Drew
by chasingscarlett
Summary: Veronica Mars was a brilliant detective. Everyone saw that. But you would think, someone with her investigation skills would be able to notice a certain Sheriff's admiration for her.


**A.N. This is basically Lamb's thoughts towards all his encounters with Veronica during the first season. If it goes well with you guys, I might continue to do the second and third too. So feedback is **_**greatly**_** appreciated.**

One completely ordinary August day, a then innocent Veronica Mars arrived at the station, seen only by Inga and Sheriff Lamb, and proclaimed she believed she was raped by a boy of the '09er district. And Lamb refused her claim proudly.

Of course, Veronica had a right to be furious. He was being selfish when he denied her. But she should've seen through that. Even before she became Veronica Mars; super sleuth.

For he didn't deny her case out of refusal for embarrassment. But out of guilt.

How could he take on a case where he would be faced with the fury that a filthy little man-child had destroyed her innocence in a single heartbeat, when he was the one who promised always to protect her.

He promised. And he always kept his promises.

Call him Mr Vain, but Donald Lamb just wasn't man enough to face the sight of failure every day he would've worked on her case. No wonder she thought him weak.

-----

He couldn't say he wasn't furious when he discovered Veronica had tampered with his case. The smug grin on her face when the video played was infuriating. Even more so when he realized what it was.

Her victory, her smile, was a reflection. To what that day was; the day he laughed when she cried. The day he denied the one person in the Mars family who still had the faintest hope in him.

The day he destroyed the only person who still believed in him.

But as she walked out the courtroom at the centre of his embarrassment, he realized there was another emotion he was feeling towards her. A feeling he couldn't explain.

He felt admiration.

-----

The day he coincided with his predecessor and his freshly sleuthing daughter in a diner was not his best, and gathering by Veronica's remark, neither was it hers.

He and Sacks were only there for the cheap food but his faulty ego couldn't resist the sight of Keith and Veronica Mars. Dining. Like the broken family they were.

The scenario itself pleaded his intrusion. Or at least, Veronica did. Even if she did deny it.

Of course, he didn't intend on bring up the anniversary of Lilly Kane's death. October 3rd was a distressing day for all of Neptune. And as much as he spared to admit it, the sight of Lilly Kane dead and crimson to the ground wasn't exactly a memory he could bear.

Lilly of all people was one of the most alive people he ever had the joy of encountering. A close second to Miss Mars herself.

Ever since Veronica had bounced back after the rape situation, Don's admiration for her grew stronger. He was a child abuse victim and lost a basketball scholarship and in outcome became everything he despised.

Veronica however survived rape, the fall of her perfect family and heartbreak. Not to mention his betrayal; choosing public recognition over the only proper family he had ever known and gaining public seclusion as a cold outsider.

She was the survivor. And even beneath that angel's exterior so long ago, she always has been. Always will be.

He was supposed to walk away in pride. Leaving the remarks behind for the day. But then she told him _Smell ya' later_. And he couldn't help but smirk. Was that a threat, or a promise?

-----

When he paid a visit to Mars Investigations and was met with negativity from Keith's little blonde receptionist, he expected it wholly and was indefinitely prepared.

Although, he had to admit, he was surprised she carried out her remarks regardless of the presence of the mayor. He was the reason Don toned it down slightly.

Enemy or not, he still respected his authority figures when in situations as serious as the E-Strangler case.

And as much as he made his distaste with working with Keith again known, he had to admit, when it came to teaming up with his former boss again, he missed it.

He liked working with someone with reliability for a change. No offence to Jerry of course.

He regretted every second of his new position as Sheriff of Balboa County when he was first elected. The job was conceived with guilt and he hated every minute of every glare a Mars supporter would give him whenever he walked by.

But working with Keith and seeing Veronica in the station again bringing her father lunch was something he missed severely.

As much as he hated to admit it, the station needed the presence of a Mars. They brought the place to life. Even if they were seducing the new deputies to steal evidence and attacking the supposed witnesses of an important case.

It stung inside of him to see Veronica and D'Amato like that; the way he and Veronica used to be but he would never admit that in public. He was too prejudiced.

But when Keith shoved Vic Sciafarra to the ground, he couldn't taste any anger towards him.

He was more than happy with Keith's reaction to Sciafarra's remark but he could certainly taste the sting of fear. Vic Sciafarra wouldn't mind Veronica Mars calling him daddy. And honestly, Don felt the same way.

-----

When Keith was tracking Veronica down, he had already known where she was. Keith had been his mentor after all and after such long employment, Don felt obligated to learn a few tricks.

He kept profiles and history on all his employees. Veronica and Keith included for emergency purposes. So Lamb was more than aware of D'Amato's participation in a band; the little Rookie really did have all the luck.

But he also had the location of where he was after his patrol hours in case of emergency. Keith wasn't the only one who was concerned that Veronica would be the E-Strangler's next victim.

Don turned up for Veronica before Keith, but waited in the shadows. No-one needed to know how much he still cared about his former boss and his sleuthing daughter.

It wasn't until after Keith left with one uniformed D'Amato that Lamb made his move.

He was sick of putting his job before the ones he cared for so he sent Sacks to check out Sciaferra and insisted to D'Amato's band member that Veronica would be safer with an armed member of law enforcement, and an old friend.

Surprisingly, Veronica didn't complain. Until they got in the car, she remarked repeatedly about how he was an incompetent, filthy traitor who was righted to have been shunned by them. That he chose authority over family and made the mistake Keith denied.

Her comments were aimed at his bull's-eye and she succeeded if she wanted to make him feel pain.

He was made out to be the bad guy yet he didn't want that moment to go any other way. Because _this_ was Veronica Mars now and if these comments weren't hitting him as constantly as they were, that would mean she was scared; that she wasn't safe.

And he would die before that ever happened again.

-----

He was horrified when Rick had claimed the fake ID had originated from none other than Veronica Mars, for this kid seemed to believe he was a better liar than he was.

Lamb was the Sheriff for crying out loud.

He was a former marine officer, a former deputy to Keith Mars himself and he was a former victim of child abuse. He knew liars from the back of his hand.

He was the only one who could ever tell Veronica Mars was lying or not when her own father couldn't.

Rick was lying. But he knew he couldn't take him in, not without evidence. That was the flaw of Law Enforcement. So when Rick made a claim, he listened.

For he knew there had to be a reason why Veronica of all people was roped into this. Trouble seemed to stalk her wherever she went. Walking just a few steps too fast for him to stop it.

-----

He was the only one who recognised whenever she was lying. He knew her that well; that much. And he knew, from just glancing at those fake IDs and just a second in her eyes that she was innocent.

But the fact they were found in her locker was considered solid evidence, and a witness was watching, he couldn't afford to be lenient now. Not there.

So against his will, without a choice, Don Lamb publically arrested Veronica Mars for the illegal manufacture of fake IDs and the attempted murder of Tim... something, and unbeknown to the witnesses or any others, released her from her cuffs as soon as she stepped into the car.

"I have no choice here, Veronica. I need your co-operation here more than ever, so can you just forget about the past for a minute and just help me out here?"

Now, Don may not have photographic memory, but he would always remember the shock on her face the moment after he asked her for a favour. And more importantly, her subdued agreement.

-----

Of course he fell for that little dollar bill trick. Childs play. Yet she still outsmarted him, once again.

He should've known she would succeed once again, especially since her own name was in the matter and with Rick, well, he should really learn to trust his instincts on the job.

For not only had it resulted in his mild humiliation in front of a guilty sophomore committing a second degree felony and in front of Sacks, he had ultimately proved himself to be the joke he had been painted as in every mind of a Mars supporter.

Yet regardless of it all, he still ended up with his _criminal_ and a box of free doughnuts. Apart from being made a moron by the woman he admired, all seemed a day's work. That is, until he opened the box of doughnuts Veronica had _so kindly_ gifted.

It wasn't full of doughnuts. Rather of small memoirs; souvenirs of the life he shared with the only family he had ever grown to love.

Photographs, gifts, even small Christmas tree decorations he had made with Veronica when she was younger. It was a box containing the happiest years of his life.

And frankly, that was more heartbreaking than any form of humiliation he could ever face.

-----

When he discovered Aaron Echolls was the true villain of the Lilly Kane case, he had immediately fell in shame.

It seemed Keith was more on the money than he thought; a wealthy family man traipsing in the guilt of murdering a sixteen-year-old in cold blood, let alone the daughter of one of his closest friends.

However, when it was confirmed on his police radio that Aaron Echolls had just attempted to murder the two most important people he had ever encountered, he was racing to the crime-scene in a heartbeat.

There had been a call placed by a lorry driver in the night, demanding the presence of the police, the paramedics and the fire department by request of a very injured small blonde and her father; the former sheriff slipping in and out of consciousness and badly burned.

He couldn't control the angst that made him run to Veronica first.

She was huddled over her father, a broken child in fear of losing her only family; determined on keeping him awake regardless of her own injuries.

He ran to her first and couldn't control the embrace that followed but Veronica remained still in his arms, watching over her helpless father; her saviour. Only managing to choke out two simple words.

"Help him." And then the ambulance arrived.

They never spoke of that moment again but there was a strange presence in her eyes that alerted his stubborn self as they both watched more and more people arrive on scene.

_Thank You_. Her eyes spoke silently, and he couldn't be more grateful. For within moments she rushed to her father's side and they never spoke of that day again.

Lamb had immediately tended to the sudden appearance of Jake Kane and his son and arrested him for obstruction of justice. Without his tampering of evidence, this whole thing would have been easily avoided.

But even with lack of mention, both Veronica and Don couldn't deny that, that day happened.

Keith and Veronica were nearly killed in Lamb's ignorance of obvious evidence. But regardless, things were finally falling back in motion, and he could recognise the welcome in her eyes again.


End file.
